In the WNYC broadcast Mr. David was inclined to see the mega-issues and mega-destruction associated with the proposed Atlantic Yards mega-monopoly in terms of only two individuals: Daniel Goldstein whom he singled out of the countless community groups, elected officials and other plaintiffs beseeching the courts to block Atlantic Yards, and Mr. James. The way he saw it everything pretty much boiled down to Daniel Goldstein needing to “pack his bags” so that LeBron James could move in if James is possibly acquired for Bruce Ratner’s Nets basketball team.

In personal terms, however, Mr. LeBron James may not be such a good personal fit for Mr. Bruce Ratner.

In response to a question from Maxim, the men’s magazine about whom he’d like to dunk on, Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron james said, “if it doesn’t have to be a basketball player, George W. Bush. I would dunk on his ass, break the rim and shatter the glass.”

If Mr. LeBron has such personally negative feelings for George W. Bush that could turn into a problem for Mr. Ratner. We have commented before about how Bruce Ratner seems to have taken much of his Atlantic Yards play book from the disreputable sports-orientated eminent domain abuse land-grabbing schemes that launched the young Mr. Bush into full crony capitalism mode:

. . this misdirection of public funds . . . it is not unique to New York State; it looks as if we caught some bad habits from George Bush's exploits in Texas.

And for those of us who don't live in Texas? Well, in Brooklyn, New York, where I live, Bruce Ratner of Forest City Ratner Enterprises has taken his cue from George W. Bush and surpassed him; he's planning a sports arena for his recently purchased basketball team as a key part of his proposed mega-development known as Atlantic Yards. New York government officials are committing New York's public to pay subsidies of more than a billion dollars covering all of the escalating costs of a basketball arena that the politically connected Ratner and company will own. The subsidies were awarded on a no-bid basis and the developer is even being promised that after an initial 30-40 year lease term accompanied by tax exemption, Ratner can extend his lease up to a total of 99 years with continued tax exemption.

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Bush needed 17 acres to build his Texas stadium. 200 acres were condemned. Ratner has similarly gone after gratuitous condemnations with a peculiar project footprint that would be inexplicable were it not for eminent domain's attractive windfall.

Maybe someone like Crain's departing Mr. David who seems to reflexively promote big development “churns” benefitting the political class and the likes of George W. Bush at the expense of the public, might argue that Mr. LeBron selectively dislikes Mr. Bush for reasons other than those sort of things that are objectionable about Atlantic Yards, but we consider Bush’s propensity for cronyistic misconduct as all of a piece. We would hope that if LeBron James has a high level of intolerance for nefarious conduct by public officials that he would also have a high level of intolerance for the misconduct and political manipulations being engaged in by Bruce Ratner, the man who wants to capture Mr. James as his employee and who is already using his name to promote unsavory schemes.

About Me

NOTICING NEW YORK & NATIONAL NOTICE are both independent entities managed by Michael D. D. White of Hop-Skip Enterprises. Michael D. D. White is an attorney, urban planner and former government public finance and development official. *** Noticing New York covers New York development and associated politics. National Notice covers national policy and economic issues *** Contact: MichaelDDWhite(at)gmail.com